'16 and Pregnant' Recap: Jazmin's Strict House Rules Are Hurting the Family

So often, we see the dads of 16 and Pregnant bail on their responsibilities, but Jazmin's episode tonight showed us the positive side of teen parents. And then also what happens when they have to deal with their own teenhood as they start parenting.

The 17-year-old from Missouri met her boyfriend, Dell, on Twitter. They hit it off almost immediately, and despite her family's strict rules, they got pregnant. Even though Jazmin's mom and stepdad set very harsh rules (the kids can't be in the house alone, Dell needs permission to enter, he can't stay past 10 p.m., and there is absolutely, positively, definitely no sex), Jazmin and her boyfriend clearly broke them. Especially the last.

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Needless to say, Jazmin's parents were upset, and even though she was already pregnant (seriously, the worst already happened), they refused to change the rules of the house to accommodate the growing young family. That meant that Dell still had to call one hour before planning on coming over, had to get permission, and could not stay past curfew.

But even with the most stringent rules in place, the couple continued to stay together and even made plans for the future. Jazmin enrolled in homeschooling so she could graduate on time with her class (though her plans of being a cardiovascular perfusionist were quickly foiled) and Dell found a job to save money for their baby daughter.

Not too shabby for a couple of teenagers, and after a baby shower, they seemed to be fairly prepared for when the baby arrived. And quickly after, Laila made her debut into the world.

Not long after they returned home with their daughter, the problems began again. Even after repeatedly asking for permission to make the rules just a tad more lenient (seriously, would 10:01 hurt anyone?), Jazmin's parents were unwilling to budge. The trust was broken and mom even said that they were "not willing to alter the landscape of our house because you all couldn't exhibit self control." Rough, while slightly true. Nothing, it seems, was going to change.

Jazmin wasn't willing to fight her parents on the issue either. And her relationship with Dell quickly went from "romantic to business," as she said. And it couldn't be more true. Mom and dad set the rules and the couple was forced to abide by them, especially since Jazmin's parents also refused to allow the couple to move in together.

So now they continue to parent Laila apart. Dell is allowed to visit but must still work around Jazmin's house rules. Good luck to them, because this'll take a ton of patience.